


The Woman You Love

by moovelope



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Character Study, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2014-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-12 20:02:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2122863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moovelope/pseuds/moovelope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose Tyler was peroxide sandpaper, abrading his nerves and tearing off skin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Woman You Love

Rose Tyler was peroxide sandpaper, abrading his nerves and tearing off skin. She asked questions and pursued him and really, he couldn't handle any contact at the time.

He had just managed to pull himself off the TARDIS floor, finally realizing that the console had changed (from damage in the war or had he switched it?). He only stopped off at Earth by accident, and when he had he caught signs of a mystery and the fact that his attention was caught by _anything_ was enough to pursue it. But not for company, not to connect to anyone. Just to apply his mind to something so it didn't spin off its tracks and hurtle towards god knows where.

Yet there was Rose Tyler, following him after he destroyed her job (a bit reckless, that). She questioned him, pushed and prodded and each time he tried to shoot her down she stood a bit taller and shot it right back at him.

She ran through London with him, holding onto his hand, laughing until his lungs burned with exertion. And then she saved his life, under the London Eye, simply, beautifully done.

And so he asked her, against his better judgment, if she'd like to go with him. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, he wasn’t sure if he could manage to travel with someone again. He wasn’t safe; he wasn’t anything stable, she must know that. Yet, it still was a disappointment, when she shook her head, uncertain.

So he left. He left and adventured elsewhere with his new body. His luck held as it usually did, everywhere he landed he'd end up in some sort of trouble. First the Titanic, then the shooting of JFK and then some small island in the middle of nowhere. Either he followed death or death followed him, he wasn't sure which way it went. He saved lives, he watched others die and through it all he wondered. "How could I have made her say yes?"

He thought about it in eighteenth century France, quietly eating as he watched a group of children run by, squealing with laughter. What would Rose Tyler of the Powell Estates want? What could he give her?

He wasn't that much of a fool to wonder why he wanted to give her anything in the first place. He decided that the best thing he could do was give her a second chance.

He materialized the TARDIS where it stood either three months ago or a minute ago, depending on one’s perspective. He opened the door, and there she was, hair still being buffeted by the breeze of the TARDIS, her eyes growing wide. He opened his mouth, but she was already leaning, already gravitating towards the TARDIS.

"Did I mention it also travels in time?"

She'd already made the decision as soon as she heard the TARDIS come back. All she needed was a second chance. She ran to him.

 

\---

 

Rose Tyler is a force of nature, pushing and fighting and questioning him when he needs it. And other times, her humor and words are such that they strike the perfect chord in him, they resonate and he can't help but feel his lips pull up in a ridiculous grin. Rose takes nothing for granted, doesn't take no for an answer and takes very little time to get under the Doctor's skin.

It also doesn't take very long for him to realize that all of the pushing and prodding of hers was her burrowing straight to his hearts. And it's difficult, at times, because she's constantly proving him wrong and forcing him to look at things differently. She opens up his eyes and sometimes that's far too frightening. And she's innocent and wise all at the same time. He hates it, therefore, when a Dalek read his emotions before he could himself because he does love this girl, this woman, in ways he's not sure of but all he knows is that if she dies he's going to be shattered. Utterly, wretchedly shattered.

And with this in mind, knowing how important her life is, to him, to existence, he sends her back home. She would have stayed, even if he told her what he was planning to do. She would have helped him push down the lever and taken the blame right along with him, that beautiful girl.

And he's ready to die, to die in shame and either cowardice or humanity he's not sure when he hears the engines of the TARDIS roaring and the bluebox that screams home to him materializing. And Rose, Rose steps out awash in gold light and looks into his soul.

Under her hand she erases the Daleks from existence, spreads hints and words throughout time and space and even brings the dead back to life. And she has power, far too much for her mind to handle, but she smiles at him and tells him "I want you safe, my Doctor."

And he has the same wish for her, to keep her safe, away from harm but look at the good it's done him, here she is saving him. So, as tears stream down her face and the bend of the universe is searing into her eyes he leans in and whispers "I think you need a doctor," because it would make her laugh and also god does she need him just as much as he needs her.

When he kisses her, for the first time, he tastes the buzz of the universe on her lips and her fear and her determination. This was a woman who grabbed a hold of the time vortex and bent it to her will and how could the Doctor not fall in love with her all over again? And in return, he gently eases the power out of her, lips pressed firmly to hers, and drags the damage that the vortex caused to her mind and took it as his own. He would gladly give his life for hers, almost did without the promise of regeneration, but now he can save her, and keep her and it's going to be fantastic.


End file.
